Bruins mull lineup changes heading into Game 4 against Sabres

BOSTON -- Employing on-the-job training doesn't always translate to immediate success, but circumstances may dictate the Boston Bruins don't have enough time to wait for results in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Buffalo Sabres.

Exhibit A is the Bruins' "Kid Line" of James Hagens, Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, all of whom are making their Stanley Cup Playoff debuts in this best-of-7 series Boston trails 2-1, with Game 4 at TD Garden on Sunday (2 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, NESN, MSG-B, SN, TVAS). 

The players that make up Boston's third line have failed to register a point through the first three games, and Bruins coach Marco Sturm has kept the unit together while Alex Steeves, Lukas Reichel and Michael Eyssimont have been healthy scratches. 

When asked if he would consider lineup changes for Game 4, Sturm did not rule out the possibility.

“My job is to put the best guys on the ice who I think gives us the best chance, and if somebody else can do that then we’ll do that,” Sturm said Friday. “Today’s not the day (to decide) yet and we’ll see how it goes (Saturday at practice) and go from there.

“Consistency is the hardest part for those young kids – it is. You need the experience. You need those games to go through it and that’s where we’re at right now. Can they stay consistent? There was a little drop (in Game 3). There were some individual mistakes, but they just have to try to stay consistent. It’s hard, especially in the playoffs.”

Minten, 21, has 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) playing in all 82 regular-season games for Boston, and Khusnutdinov, 23, who saw some time on the first line, had 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 77 games. Hagens, the Bruins' top prospect, signed a three-year, entry-level contract on April 8 following his sophomore season at Boston College, and is trying to make an immediate impact in the postseason.

Whether he'll have the chance to so do is to be determined.

“We’ll see,” Sturm said about Hagens remaining in the lineup. “We’re in the process of going through the game again from Thursday night and we’ll see. So far, he’s been really good. He gives us everything he has, and he made more mistakes probably last game than he’s done in the past, so we’ll see. We’ll analyze (Game 3) and go from there.”

The fourth line has been the most consistent and effective for Boston; the tenacity and relentless style of play from Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly and Mark Kastelic, especially with their physicality on the forecheck, has helped set the tone.

“The fourth line did an outstanding job (in Game 3)," Sturm said. "Over the last two games, it’s been our best line for a reason because they keep it simple, and they play hard."

Jeannot's goal at 3:26 of the second period helped the Bruins jump out to a 1-0 lead in Game 3, and they had a chance to extend that advantage but forward Viktor Arvidsson was stopped on a penalty shot by Sabres goalie Alex Lyon, and Buffalo then got goals from defenseman Bowen Byram and forwards Alex Tuch and Noah Ostlund to go on to victory.

With an extra day between Games 3 and 4, the Bruins hope any momentum tilting the Sabres' way can be stifled; the players had the day off, except those needing treatment.

When asked whether he would prefer to play Saturday or take advantage of the extra day off, Sturm answered with a laugh.

“Can you ask me again after the game?" he said. "I believe it’s good for us just to have that little break and regroup, but we’ll see. (Buffalo’s) in the same boat, so we’ll see how it goes next game. By now, we know how we have to play, what works and what doesn’t, so hopefully that day in between will help us.

“We've just got to make sure we stick to our game, and we have to do it for 60 minutes. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

If not, and Boston loses Game 4, it will face elimination when the series goes back to Buffalo for Game 5 on Tuesday.

“We’re excited about the next opportunity because we have to win at home,” Sturm said. “We blew it last game, so now we have an opportunity on Sunday to even this thing up.”